WOMEN ON THE RUN is part of our Vinegar Syndrome Archive collection, celebrating forgotten cinematic oddities from the video store era. This collection was inspired by our own brick & mortar video stores, with locations in Bridgeport, CT; Denver, CO and Toronto, ON!
Unique to this line, each hand numbered limited edition release will come fitted in a specially designed, bottom loading VHS inspired slipcase, while also including a double-sided poster.
These releases will ONLY be available on our website and at participating indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them. This spot gloss slipcase edition (designed by Sean Longmore) is strictly limited to 4,000 units and may (but probably not) be followed by a standard edition in the future.
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A young woman named Yin dreams of leaving her modest village life for a chance to try to make it big as a martial arts movie star. Leaving for the big city with her boyfriend, life takes a turn for poor Yin when she soon finds herself addicted to drugs and being pimped out by her boyfriend. After a violent altercation forces Yin to flee to Hong Kong, it's not long before she ends up on the radar of the police. Without any other options, Yin makes a deal with the police to go undercover with one of their straight-laced female detectives, Hung, in order to try and bring down a notorious drug dealer nicknamed ""King Kong."" Victimized by the men in their lives, the two unlikely friends must team up to protect each other from the criminals out to get them and work together to get revenge on those who have betrayed them.
Directed by frequent collaborators David Lai and Corey Yuen (the duo responsible for the Savior of the Soul films, as well as the Transporter franchise), WOMEN ON THE RUN stands out compared to the many other Hong Kong action films of the time, thanks in part to its controversial CAT III rating. Playing as part ""buddy cop"" film mixed with a ""girls with guns"" aesthetic, WOMEN ON THE RUN also takes heavy inspiration from the exploitation films of decades prior, due to the sometimes shocking ordeals that the women must face before getting their revenge. Vinegar Syndrome Archive is proud to present WOMEN ON THE RUN, for the first time on Blu-ray here in the States, newly restored from the original camera negative and complete with all the female ass-kicking one could ask for.
directed by: David Lai, Corey Yuen starring: Tamara Guo, Farini Cheung, Wai-Tak Wong, Corey Yuen, Won Jin 1993 / 89 min / 1.85:1 / Cantonese, English DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
Additional info:
Region A Blu-ray
Scanned and restored in house by Vinegar Syndrome in 2K from its 35mm original camera negative
Presented in its original Cantonese mono soundtrack with newly translated English subtitles, English language dub soundtrack, and a Mandarin language dub soundtrack
Commentary track with film writer Travis Woods
"Hong Kong's Thelma & Louise" (17 min) - an interview with producer/co-director David Lai
"What You See Is What You Get" (23 min) - a conversation with producer Shan Tam and production manager Michael Parker
"Corey Yuen and Girls with Guns" (12 min) - a video essay by film historian and author Samm Deighan
16-page booklet with an essay by Erica Shultz
Original trailer
Reversible sleeve artwork
English SDH subtitles
Overall rating: 4.652174 / 5 from 276 reviews.
AI Generated Review Summary
Women on the Run, part of the Vinegar Syndrome Archive collection, is celebrated for its excellent restoration, top-notch packaging, and amazing artwork. Customers rave about the fast-paced action, believable leads, and the film's unique blend of buddy cop and girls with guns aesthetics.
"The peerless VS restoration process was on full display with a stellar sound and picture transfer!" — Paul K.
"great transfer decent movie nice packaging with poster and booklet" — James M.
"Love the VS packaging and artwork, no surprise there." — Steven B.
Reviews
Ladies Kickin Ass
"Loved to see this surprise title hit the label offerings. I am a fan of Corey Yuen's output and Women on the Run is no exception. The fight choreography really kicks ass and this edition couldn't be any better."
— Matthew D. (4/5)
Charms overshadowed by nastiness
"Liked a lot of this, but the fights, general look, wild and incongruous moments of humor, breakneck pace, etc. were all overshadowed by, or even highlighted in a bad way, the heightened nastiness. The gang rape scene, late in the movie and immediately following a standout goofy moment, was so brutal and so unnecessary, the women already having gone through more than enough to warrant their seeking violent revenge. Throughout much of the movie they are being undercut, portrayed as idiots, losing fights, and so on; it is even used as a story point in the final showdown. Really let down and kinda grossed out by this one, but I guess that's the roll of the dice with Cat III and I'm clearly in the minority. Great package and nice extras. Wish there was some original poster art on the reverse case."
— Joe V. (2/5)
Solid HK Girls with Guns (adjacent) Movie
"Super dark and downbeat. Thrilling beginning to end. Another knockout VSA! And it came with a booklet which I didn’t expect so that was a nice surprise."
— Mike K. (5/5)
Women not in prison
"Women on the Run is a gritty Hong Kong Category III action thriller directed by Corey Yuen and starring Yukari Oshima and Carrie Ng. The film follows two women forced to flee after witnessing a crime, leading to a violent chase involving corrupt police and ruthless criminals. The Blu-ray released by Vinegar Syndrome presents the film in a new high-definition restoration from original elements. Packed with special features and interviews, the release gives this cult Hong Kong exploitation thriller its most complete and polished home-video presentation to date."
— Jaume M. (5/5)
More Cat III Insanity
"Discerning film fans will catch that little triangle with the roman numeral 3 on the cover and know they are in for a wild ride with this flick. What happens when an aspiring actress turned drug addicted sex worker goes undercover with a detective to topple a notorious drug dealer? You get this weird mix of buddy cop action movie with a pair of ladies at the center. The disc comes with interviews, a video essay, trailer and there is also a poster and booklet. If you have boarded the Cat III train in recent years like I have, you will want to add this to your collection."
— Trent S. (4/5)
That aint running from shi
"This brutal, action-packed Hong Kong Category III exploitation thriller from legendary Corey Yuen seamlessly mixes a grit-fueled "girls with guns" aesthetic with a wild buddy-cop plot. It is an absolute blast"
— Kevin G. (5/5)
Nude Kung Fu!
"While I'm not big into martial arts movies, I do enjoy exploitation cinema, and this one hit the right notes. It did have impressive martial arts gymnastics, and Tamara Guo in particular demonstrated nice ability to run in heels and deliver roundhouse kicks stark naked. She has my admiration. The movie was fun, sexy, violent, and had good dark humor. Nice special features, a booklet (always like something to read) and while I doubt I'll hang the poster, it's a nice addition. Complete five star release."
— Adam C. (5/5)
Fun and crazy Hong Kong Action
"If you like crazy Homg Kong action, its a great pick up"
— Stephen J. (5/5)
Another great VSA!!
"The picture quality rocks. Great audio. Great addition to the VSA line. Case is awesome looking."
— Benjaman G. (5/5)
Good HK Action
"I gave this mo ie 5 stars because I based it off of what I was expecting, and it delivered. This is an HK action movie about a police woman and a hooker who are on the run from crooks and crooked cops. A lot of martial arts action and a solid story even though it really isn't a very original plot. It was a solid action thriller with some beautiful actresses in the lead roles. If you are looking for a good action movie with Martial arts fighting, you should give this one a chance."
— Christopher K. (5/5)
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